'Allowing a tie and then a lead after 11 pitches' LG foreign pitcher Yasel Ramos collapsed in an instant, yet the manager smiled. "Baseball doesn't always go as predicted."

*This content was translated by AI.

LG Twins manager Yeom Kyung-yeop (58) smiled at the first loss of foreign pitcher Yasel Ramos (33), who collapsed in an instant with just 11 pitches.

Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop said ahead of the Gwangju KIA Tigers game on the 18th, "I clearly believe Ramos is a strong bullpen arm in the league. There is no 100% in baseball. I thought this was a game we could win probabilistically. I played my best card as a manager. But even when you play your best card, baseball doesn't always go as predicted," he said calmly.

Ramos suffered his first KBO loss in the Gwangju KIA game on the 17th. In the top of the 8th inning, with LG trailing 1-2, a fielder's error by the opposing shortstop with one out and a runner on third base tied the game 2-2, leading to Ramos's appearance. Until this game, Ramos had been throwing a fastball clocking up to 161 km/h and recording two consecutive scoreless outings, making his appearance a calculated move.

However, the game took an unexpected turn. In the bottom of the 8th, leadoff hitter Kim Ho-ryeong hit a double to left-center field after a six-pitch full-count battle. Kim Do-young then hit a bases-loaded single to left field with a slider on the third pitch, giving the opposing team the lead. Na Sung-beom then launched a two-run home run to left-center field off a 158 km/h fastball that came low, sealing the victory. LG could not overturn the score and ultimately lost 4-5.

Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop reflected, "The opposing starting pitcher, Oliver, is the league's top ace. So we planned to hold them to just two runs through the 6th inning, expecting the game to be decided in the 7th to 9th innings. Things went exactly according to plan until then. (When the tie occurred) I thought we had to go for the win. I decided to bring in Ramos for the 8th inning, but an unpredictable situation occurred."

He continued, "His fastball reached 159 km/h, so there's no issue with his condition. The three mistakes went to the best spots for the batters. You can say it was just an unlucky day. Sometimes, even with poor pitch sequencing or pitch design, mistakes can be survived, but that wasn't the case yesterday. Baseball is a sport with many variables, even when predicted."

Ramos is the foreign pitcher who replaced Yoni Chirinos (33), who led the team to a Korean Series championship last year. He was brought in after much deliberation in a foreign player market lacking starting pitcher options. His strength lies in his fastball, which reaches speeds up to 161 km/h. His other breaking balls also have good velocity and movement, making him a potential starting pitcher if he re-signs.

Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop stated, "Ramos throws fast overall. His slider and forkball are good, but his curveball is not bad either. Park Dong-won is also considering using the curveball later. Ramos himself has good control with his slider and uses it frequently, but right now, as he adapts to the league, it's important for him to throw the pitch he feels most confident in."

He added, "I also tell Dong-won to let Ramos throw what he likes. Rather than telling him exactly what to do from the start, it's important for him to experience success and failure himself. He is definitely a competitive bullpen pitcher, and through this failure experience, he can figure out how to make changes and adjust his pitch design."

The manager had even planned to take Ramos all the way to the Korean Series. The plan included managing him with consecutive appearances and multi-inning outings, but with strict limits: no more than 35 pitches per game and a ban on consecutive appearances after pitching two innings.

Manager Yeom said, "There is regret. However, since we won many crucial games this season, our win-loss record has improved. I think this incident will give Ramos a timing to think again and not take our league too lightly."

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*This content was translated by AI.